Molly Baun- (Dublin) pre1926 Padraic Colum
[No informant named, no location given. From: Padraic Colum's The Road Round Ireland (New York: Macmillan, 1926).
R. Matteson 2016]
Padraic Colum (8 December 1881 – 11 January 1972) was an Irish poet, novelist, dramatist, biographer, playwright, children's author and collector of folklore. He was one of the leading figures of the Irish Literary Revival.
Molly Baun
Come all ye late fowlers that carry the gun,
Beware of late shooting by the set of the sun,
Beware of late shooting and that in the dark,
I have shot lovely Molly; I did not miss my mark.
Coming home from her uncle's in a shower of hail,
Went in under a green bush with her beauty to spare,
With a white scarf about her, I took her for a swan,
And it's little I bethought it was my own Molly Baun.
When I came up to Molly and found it was she,
My bones they grew feeble, and my eyes scarce could see,
When I left my hand on her temple and found she was dead,
It's a fountain of tears for poor Molly I shed.
With my gun on my shoulder to my home I did go,
"Mother, dearest mother did you hear what I done?
I've shot lovely Molly by the set of the sun."
"You untreacherous villain, throw your gun now aside,
You have shot lovely Molly, the flower of Clonbrone,
That lovely, fair creature I intended your own.
Down come his father, and his locks they were grey,
"Son, dearest son, do not go away;
Stay in your own country till your trial-day comes on,
And you never shall die for the loss of one swan.
The day of Molly's funeral to her uncle appeared,
"Uncle, dearest uncle, James Reynolds I'll free,
With a white scarf about me he took me for a swan,
But it's little he bethought it was his own Molly Baun."
The day of Molly's funeral it will be a great sight,
With four and twenty young men they'll be all dressed in white,
They will carry lovely Molly, and they'll leave her in the clay,
And they'll say, "Bid adieu, lovely Molly," and they'll all walk away.